Montana and Mark De La Rosa
The woman on the other side of the octagon bounces in place as the introductions bellow throughout the arena. Tattoos cover the majority of her exposed skin — her chiseled upper arms, forearms, legs, and stomach. She stares straight across the ring at her opponent and raises her gloved hands when her name and record are announced. Knowing this person’s sole mission for the next 15 minutes is to physically punish whoever is standing across from her, one would be forgiven for being slightly intimated. But Montana De La Rosa has been here before.
The bell sounds and the two fighters square up in the center of the ring inside the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The February battle is part of a major UFC fight card, and De La Rosa, 25, soon unleashes a series of punches, kicks, elbows, and takedowns that leave her opponent bloody and on the short end of the judges’ decision.
This was just the latest victory for this professional fighter who lives, trains, and grew up in Fort Worth. But wins and losses are the norm for any UFC event; this night made history for another reason.
Montana and her husband, Mark, were both in the octagon that night, becoming the first married couple ever to do so on a UFC fight card. Though he lost his match earlier in the night, he was back in her corner during her match, cheering her on and offering advice.
“I’m thankful to have my husband right here,” she said in her post-fight interview. “He helps me with every aspect of my fight game. I can’t imagine life without him.”
Love at First Punch The pair grew up in the Fort Worth area, with Mark graduating from Castleberry High School, and Montana from Azle. Montana had always been a good athlete, but at age 14, she had grown tired of traditional sports. She jumped at the chance to wrestle when a friend suggested they try something different, and she added mixed martial arts to her athletic repertoire at age 18. She even earned a role on the UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, and her career took off from there. And she did all of this while raising a newborn — Zaylyn, who’s now 9 years old.
“I just liked to train and kept winning, so I just kept at it,” Montana says. “Thankfully, I am able to do that for my family.”
Mark was fighting and coaching at Genesis Jiu Jitsu and was soon training Montana and Zaylyn, who, like her mom, has also taken up wrestling. Mark, 25, had been into MMA for years and embarked on his own pro career in 2014. Love seemed to blossom, and the pair eventually exchanged vows at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
In February’s fight in New Mexico, the UFC played up the marriage between the two — filming the weigh-in, the family at their hotel, and following them with cameras throughout fight night. Their interaction and preparation became a mini-reality show for those tuning in that night on ESPN. Mark believes their common interest keeps their marriage strong.
“We both know what we’re thinking and what we’re going through,” he says. “We just do a good job comforting each other.
“Sometimes I’m so deep in training camp and thinking of my upcoming fight, maybe I’m not that emotional or affectionate, not focused that much on family life. I’m just constantly thinking of the task at hand. I’ve got a big fight coming up and stepping into a cage in front of millions of people. Montana does a good job of understanding that. And when she fights, I understand all that, and we always pick up the slack of whatever the other’s not doing.”
Fighting in the Family Life as a fighter is not quite a 9-to-5 job. Both fight in the flyweight weight class, with a maximum of 125 pounds. They get in the octagon two or three times a year, but their workouts and training are constant.
After dropping Zaylyn off at school, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays bring conditioning training. MMA training then comes on Tuesday and Thursday, where they may work on punches, kicks, defense, takedowns, submissions, and any possible scenario they may see in the octagon.
The De La Rosas may also get in the ring for some sparring and do some coaching of other fighters; punches and kicks are all part of life for this family. The tandem double up with more MMA and jiu jitsu practice in the evenings, as well. As married fighters, helping each other with their in-game strategy is a regular part of marriage.
“We do a lot of drilling together,” Mark says. “She knows my habits, and we’re constantly giving each other input. She always gives me good motivation advice.”
Among MMA fighters, Mark has a record of 11-4 and is ranked No. 14 in the official UFC flyweight standings. Montana is 11-5 and ranked No. 11. Montana says both their families are supportive of their careers and help out whenever they can.
“We stay in the gym,” Mark says. “We love it. It doesn’t even feel like a job; it’s just a lifestyle for us. We enjoy accepting fights and challenges. We enjoy the test and pushing ourselves. We’re going to keep chasing a title and just keep climbing the rankings.”
The couple makes their fistfighting marriage work, and they have a real respect for each other. Montana’s training paid off in New Mexico, and she was quick to credit everyone in her family.
“I went in there really confident, and I had all my family there supporting me,” she says. “I was just able to use everything that I worked on. It’s always good to get the win.”
Like a good husband, Mark simply notes, “She put on an amazing performance.”
